Saw bellies

[final flight]

Will they go into a minnow trap ? Expensive little critters!!

[lakebound88]

Rollie, I usually get some in mine when I used to get em. Use crackers bread lasts longer too. Remember ya can't transport them though!

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[final flight]

Thanks nick, would like to try them in a meat head/ Twinkie rig.

[Zyoung]

Sabiki Rigs are less then 2 bucks at Dicks.  They actually work!

[Popeye]

Sabiki size 10 or smaller. Clip the wings so they are all but gone.

[final flight]

I have tried the sabiki rigs with no luck, could you go into detail on what has worked for you ?

[Zyoung]

Sorry to say I don't know what size they are, but get the smallest size available.  When you mark a bait ball just drop into it.  One thing of note is that you do have to give a little hookset, they don't just hook themselves.

[final flight]

Thank you for the info.

[justtracytrolling]

I was planning on using a little bait this year in a meat rig Ed gave me, and at night instead of casting sticks. I have few guests that bait would be easier for them. I figured I could get them in a cast net at night when they are on shore. Is it legal to use a cast net? The regs arent clear to me. I know you can use a gill net and I suppose that would be doable for me.

[alex1young]

I figured I could get them in a cast net at night when they are on shore. Is it legal to use a cast net? The regs arent clear to me.

I was wondering the same thing.

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[justtracytrolling]

I can snag em no prob, but they often times arent very lively after being snagged.

[Sk8man]

When we used to night fish for trout on Canandaigua and Keuka I used to hang lanterns off my  Riviera downrigger booms (mid to late 70's and eighties) pointed outward and brought along a smelt dip net. The bugs would arrive pretty quickly, the sawbellies would follow and nearly surface and we'd net them for bait. Sometimes  huge trout could be seen either chasing them or just patrolling the depths below them in 100-150 ft or so of water.  I'm not sure of the legality off using a cast net in fresh water here in N.Y.S . now days....it used to be done on Seneca in the old days though and is permitted inmost marine environments. We used to get a bunch of sawbellies for later use as well and I put them 6 to a zip lock bag with all the air pressed out so they wouldn't die with their mouths open from "gulping" air and then froze them for use behind cowbells etc..

Edited March 30, 2015 by Sk8man

[justtracytrolling]

I see cast nets used on Otisco on a daily basis, but that doesnt make it legal for me to do it. I have even seen a walleye taken with a cast net. A gill net seems like more PIA, but the regs clearly say they are legal.

[final flight]

How about a drift sock with a screen in the bottom, hooked to the down rigger ball and trolled thru the bait pods at 80-100 ft. I really need to get out on the water!!!!!

[bandrus1]

Try c4

[old man]

I lived on seneca lake back in the day. We put a gill net out every night and in the morning we'd shake them off and grab them with a smelt net. We would freeze the ones that died and use them on gang hook/cowbell rigs. We had to get them out of the nets early or the pike would tear them up after sunrise.

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[TileMan Dan]

Are sawbellies the same as alewives?

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[old man]

Yeah. I think so.

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[old man]

Great pike bait,like a living spoon.

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[Sk8man]

Sawbellies = alewives = member of the herring family

[vogel451]

I stop into taughannock park the first week of June during the spawn and grab some.  Walk out on the concrete pier and the water is black with them.  Go first light!

Edited March 31, 2015 by vogel451

[Skidplate]

I was get them last year with a cast net of docks at night could not get them to stay alive and I was told u can use them for any thing that's not a game fish

[PolarBear]

we use them for stripers , we keep them alive in a rounded corner  bait tank with an aerator , and catch them in a throw net.....we put them in a dish pan and sort them first and this keeps the scales out of the bait tank too ( picture above in dish pan)

17 gallon Greyline Baint Tank.....I know everybody doesn't have a bait tank

I freeze the big dead ones for baitheads

Edited March 31, 2015 by PolarBear

[Xxx]

Is it legal to use a green light submerged and a drop net, that's how we get the alewives on our local lake after a hour of that light in the water it right infested with them, I pull the net up like hell and there's usually 20-30 fish in the net, like posted above you need a round container or they kill themselves, we even use a bilge pump with 50ft of hose so we pull the colder water up to fill our round container which I made out of a 20 gallon drum, it was a Coke syrup container and a aerator, I put a drain near the bottom so we can add more cold water otherwise they die.

[Frogger]

This might help answer some questions on baitfish. http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/47282.html

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